Table-leg joint.



N0. 696,5I9. v Patented Apr. 1, I902. E. TYDEN.

TABLE LEG JOINT.

(Application filed May 18, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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EMIL TYDEN, OF HASTINGS, MICHIGAN.

TABLE LEG JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters l atent No. 696,519, dated April 1, 1902.

Original application filed February 18, i901, erial No. 47,740. Divided and this application filed May 18, 1901. Serial No. 60,818. (No model.)

To CLZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL TYDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hastings, in the county of Barry and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Table-Leg Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 47,740, filed February 18, 1901.

The purpose of this invention is to provide improvements in thejoint by which table-legs are secured to the top.

It consists in the structural features set out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a detail plan of one corner portion of a table,including one leg-junction, the top being broken away to disclose the joint structure. Fig. 2 is a detail side elevation of the upperportion of one of the legs, showing the block in which it is fitted. Fig. 3 is a detail section at the line 3 3 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3, showing with some exaggeration the parts as they may appear after shrinkage has occurred.

A is the table-top, which is represented as made up, as is customary, of a plurality of transversely-extending boards or sections a a, (K70.

B B are moldings depending from the tabletop and made rigid therewith, both for the purpose of ornamental finish to the table and greater rigidity and stiffness of top.

0 is a block which is seated in the corner or solid angle formed between the under surface of thetable-top and the inner surfaces of the moldings on two adjacent sides of the table. This block has the edge 0 extending across the cornerthat is, oblique to both the two sides of the table-and at substantially the middle point of its oblique side it has a recess,which to distinguish it from another recess hereinafter mentionedl term the main recess 0 which in accordance with the structure of the legs, hereinafter described, is preferablysemicircular; but whether of this form or not it is in any event preferably tapered, widest at the outer edge and diminishing in width toward the deepest point.

D is the table-leg. At the upper end, where it is to be joined by the table, it is provided with a shank D, corresponding in transverse section to the form of the recess and being in the present invention cylindrical. Preferably and as shown the table-leg is reduced to form this shank, thereby forming at the same time an abrupt shoulder D which bounds or terminates the shank. The length of the shank D is perceptibly, but only very slightly, less than the thickness of the block 0. At a distance from its upper extremityit has an encircling boss or bead D This boss is of suitable size to constitute a stubborn protrusion from the shank, little liable to be split or broken therefrom. It is beveled at the side toward the shoulder D and fiat-faced at the other side. In the wall of the recess 0 there is formed a secondary recess 0 which is adapted to receive the boss or head D on the shank D. The width of the recess C at its mouth is preferably very slightly less than the width of the bead or boss D at its base, so that the upper fiat face of the boss tends to become crowded against the opposing wall of the secondary recess when the shank is seated in the block and clamped thereinto, as hereinafter described. Also the distance from the base of the boss D to the shoulder D is such with respect to the distance from the corresponding edge of the secondary recess 0 to the surface of the block 0 that there is a tendency to wedging of the substance of the block between the shoulder and the block when the shank is clamped into the block. From the end of the shank toward the shoulder there is formed a notch or cleft extendin g diametrically across the end of the shank, reaching longitudinally far enough to extend through the boss D its depth being sufficient to admit the bolt E, which takes into the block 0 at the middle or deepest point of the recess C and preferably at the secondary recess 0 which is substantially at the middie of the thickness of the block. The bolt E in the form illustrated is a lagbolt or coach-screw, having at the outer end a suitable head E to bind on a washer E bearing against the side of the shank D, the threaded end being adapted to suitably and firmly engage the block from the bottom of the secondary recess C inward toward the corner of the table toward which the bolt trends. It will be understood that the bolt maybe inserted in the block before the leg is inserted in place, the cleft D in the end of the shank of the leg adapting the latter to be inserted astride the bolt, provided the latter is withdrawn from its maximum engagement with the block a distance equal to the thickness of the boss or bead D and that being thus applied striding the bolt the shank may then be forced back into its seat in the block, the boss entering the secondary recess 0 and as the bolt is tightened up becoming wedged therein and causing a wedging of the substance of the block between the shoulder and the beveled side of the boss facing the shoulder, so that by the time the shank is fully seated in the main recess it is made very rigid with the block by the binding of the same between the shoulder and the boss or even in the absence of the shoulder by the crowding of the flat face of the boss up against the opposing wall of the secondary recess. Preferably the width of the boss D is substantially equal to the diameter of the washer employed under the head of the bolt, and the bead is cut away at the side'at which the washer is thus bound in a plane tangential to the cylindrical surface of the shank, thus affording a flat seat for the washer over its entire area, preventing it from being sunken unduly into the wood when the leg is clamped in place. The leg being thus made very rigid with the block, the strain of any stress applied to the leg tending to wrench it from the table will be widely distributed, because the block is rigidly jointed at its upper surface to the under surface of the table-top by glue or otherwise. lables having this form of leg-joint will have the blocks C provided with the recesses 0 all of the same diameter and the legs with the shanks all of the same diameter whatever be the style or pattern of the leg in other respects. Legs and tables can thus be made so as to be assembled according to the preference of the purchaser, any style of leg being put upon any style of top and the change being made from one style to another at a moments notice and with very few minutes work. In shipments the advantage of easy disconnection and reassembling of the legs will be obvious.

I do not limit myself to the use of the lagbolt or coach-screw for the purpose of attaching the leg to the block. Other forms of bolt enoe being placed upon the mere clamping force of the bolt-that is, such clamping as might bind and support the shank by mere friction in its seatand this feature of construction is of value without regard to whether the upper shoulder of the boss and thelower wall of the recess are or are not flat.

I claim- 1. In a table, a leg havinga shank at its upper end, and an element made rigid with the table having a lateral seat to receive the legshank, said element and shank having, the one a boss projecting rigidly from the seating-surface transversely to the axis of the legshank, and the other a recess in the seatingsurface adapted to receive the boss; and means for clamping the shank into the seat and thereby forcing the boss into the recess.

2. In a table, a leg having a shank at its upper end and an element made rigid with the table having a lateral seat to receive the legshank; said element and leg having, one, a boss transverse to the axis of the leg-shank, and the other, a recess adapted to receive the boss, the boss being tapered in section radial to the shankwidening from its base to its crest-and means for clamping the shank into its seat and thereby forcing the tapering boss into the recess.

3. In a table, a leg having a shank at its upper end, and an element made rigid with the table having a lateral seat to receive the legshank; said element and leg-shank having one a boss transverse to the axis of the shank, and the other a recess adapted to be engaged by the boss; one of said engaged pieces being tapered in width to cause a wedging action in such engagement, and means for clamping the shank into its seat and thereby wedging the boss into the recess.

4. In combination with a table-top and its legs, a block which is made rigid with the top, having in one edge a main recess, a leg, having a shank adapted to be seated laterally in the recess; the shank having a boss or bead projecting transversely to the axis of the same, and tapering in radial section, widening from base to crest, and the block having a secondary recess in the wall ofthe main recess, adapted to receive the boss, and means for clamping the shank into the main recess and thereby forcing the boss into the secondary recess.

5. In combination with a table-top and its legs, a block which is made rigid with the top, having in one edge a main recess; a leg having a shank adapted to be seated laterally in the recess; the shank having a boss or bead projecting transversely to the axis of the same, and the block having a corresponding secondary recess in the wall of the main recess; and means for clamping the shank into the main recess, thereby forcing the boss or bead into the secondary recess.

6. I11 combination with a table-top and its ICO ble-top independently of the leg, such block havingin one edge a main recess; the leg having a shank adapted to be seatedlaterally in the recess, the shank having a boss or head projecting transversely to its axis, and the block having a corresponding secondary recess in the Wall of the main recess, and means for clamping the shank into the recess and thereby binding the leg to the block with the boss of the shank engaged in the secondary recess.

7. In combination with a table-top and its legs, ablock which is made rigid with the table-top, having in one edge a main recess; a leg having a reduced shank bounded by an abrupt shoulder, adapted to be seated laterally in the recess; the shank having a boss or bead projecting transversely from its axis, and the block having a corresponding second ary recess in the wall of the main recess, the face of the bead toward the shoulder being beveled to draw the shoulder toward the face of the block when the'shank is forced into the recess, and suitable means for thus forc ing and binding the shank into the recess.

8. In combination with a table-top and its legs, a block which is made rigid with the table-top, having in one edge a main recess; a leg having a shank adapted to be seated laterally in the recess; the shank having a boss projecting transversely to its axis, andthe block having a corresponding secondary recess in the wall of the main recess, adapted to receive'the boss, one face of the boss being beveled and the other being flat, andthe width of the boss at the base being such with respect to the width of the secondary recess as to cause the boss to be wedged in the secondary recess when the shank is forced back into the main recess, whereby the flat face of the boss is caused to be seated firmly against the corresponding wall of the recess; and

suitable means for clamping the shank into the main recess.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at Hastings, Michigan, in the presence of two witnesses.

EMIL TYDEN.

In presence of-- FRANK G. HEWITT, NORA 000mm. 

